Are Polar bears on the brink of extinction?

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A U.S government agency report on Thursday warned that polar bears could die off due to the increasing global warming. It is a well-known fact that the polar ice is melting at a fast pace, in turn affecting the species living there.

The US Fish and Wildlife Services noted that the single most step for polar bear conservation is decisive action to address global warming. The plan is a part of the process for listing the species as threatened in 2008. Jennifer Kohout, regional program manager and co-chair of the polar bear recovery team at USFWS stated that the stopping of warming of water of the Artic will certainly require commitment from all countries.

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“Short of action that effectively addresses the primary cause of diminishing sea ice, it is unlikely that polar bears will be recovered,” said the report.

Secretary of State John Kerry stated that nations needed to significantly reduce the emissions, especially black carbon and methane as short-lived greenhouse gases could be the primary cause of global warming. He added that the pollutants are a threat to everybody. Global warming is reducing polar ice at an alarming rate. Polar bears are dependent on the ice for feeding, mating and producing offspring. According to Office of Naval Research (OSR), ,the last eight years has witnessed the lowest sea ice on record.

“When it comes to the carbon pollution melting the polar bears’ Arctic world, this plan just shrugs and hopes for the best,” said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The science shows clearly that deep greenhouse gas reductions are needed to save polar bears from extinction, but the Obama administration doesn’t lay out a clear plan for what those targets should be and how to get there. Without specific targets we’ll see more and more polar bears drowning and starving to death.”

University of Alaska professor and climate change expert Igor Polyakov mentioned that there might be fluctuations in temperatures, in relation to the Artic ice in the next 10 years or more. He added that he long-term trend of higher temperatures with less ice could spell trouble for polar bears. However, Polyakov remarks that the major players like the US and China cannot agree to do as they has their own industrial interests. There is no joint effort by the global comunity on what to do and how to do.